Preschool games

Hopscotch is basically a giant calculator, right?

This week on the No Small Matter Vlog, we're continuing our summer STEM series with a demonstration of how you can use a classic childhood game — hopscotch — to teach addition and subtraction. Watch as Rachel and some of her students try this lesson for preschool math out.

The basics? When you think about it ... drawing a hopscotch grid is like drawing a giant calculator! So put it to use. A teacher or a parent can call out a number, and have a child jump to that number. Then call out one more, and they jump there. Here's the trickiest part — adding those two numbers together and then jumping to the sum! It's fun, engages a group, and helps preschool-aged learners think fast by adding in their heads or on their fingers.

Give it a try before the summer's through!

Greatest Playdough for Early Learners!

How to make playdough -- not just any playdough -- the BEST playdough (or we think so, anyway)! Rachel shares her recipe for homemade playdough. This no cook playdough recipe is easy to make, and Rachel has some ideas for how to use it to help kids learn.